Beijing will push Seoul harder for a meaningful compromise on the THAAD issue. It is well aware of what Korea thinks and even admitted to oppressing imports of Korean cultural products when a pack of Minjoo party lawmakers visited Beijing after the impeachment bill. That the favorite candidate still thinks he can alter the course……
Tag: English
The Great Crevasse that Cuts Through the Squares
Three hundred meters. From Seoul Square to Gwanghwamun Square. The psychological, if not cognitive, distance between the two, however, is far wider than the physical. While those who gathered around Gwanghwamun, with trademark candles in their hands, call for the impeachment of President Park, those who gathered in front of City Hall vehemently counter what……
Dissecting Pres Park’s last interview
I began to write on Korean politics and whatnot for a newborn webzine The Dissolve. This was the first piece I wrote: Speech has never been President Park’s strong suit. Dull and inarticulate, the way she speaks in public haunted her aides during her (ultimately) successful presidential campaign in 2012 and after. She rarely shows her……
What Ban Ki-moon has to learn from the past
[box title=”Note” box_color=”#777777″]I wrote this piece Jan 16, when Ban was still hot in ROK politics. It was written for a project I’m participating but it was losing its relevance to the current ROK politics as the publication got delayed with new events happening. Finally, it had a death sentence when Ban abruptly threw in the towel……
The late Baek Nam-ki was the first to be killed ‘in remote’ by state violence
In a recent HuffPost blog post after Mr. Baek’s death, I argued that ROK police’s riot control tactics has been evolving regardless of coming and going of administrations and the late Baek was the latest victim of police brutality derived from its tactics. Still, police and military power are way out of reach from civilian……